WWE's 5 Worst Fan-Created Chants

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Here are the five most annoying crowd chants in the WWE Universe!

This is always an interesting topic to dive into as there are typically two major camps when it comes to what crowds should or shouldn’t do at shows. One side feels if people paid for a ticket, they should be able to chant freely (within reason) whatever they please, while the other side prefers that crowds keep it more civil and let the focus remain on the wrestling personalities who are performing for them.

The chants that made this list typically fit the profile of being either incredibly overused or overly disrespectful towards the wrestlers in the ring. Sometimes crowds have been known to “go into business for themselves” with chants that either outright ruin promos or use it as a way to show just how much they dislike the match-up going on at that moment.

Before we get to the top five, a few honorable mentions to those that just missed the cut. Although we don’t hear it too often these days, but “ECW” has to be near the top for a number of reasons. First, it’s a chant for a company that closed down fifteen years ago (where are the “WCW!” chants?) and a large chunk of the WWE fan base isn’t even old enough to remember it, don’t be a sheep and chant just because others do it. ECW was a great company that worked during a specific point in wrestling history, it wouldn’t do nearly as well in today’s environment, just leave it in the past.

Another honorable mention has to go to “This is wrestling!” Obviously, what you’re watching is wrestling, so on a basic level, it just sounds dumb. Plus, it could be offensive to the guys and gals that wrestled previously on the show, was that not wrestling?

Okay, let’s get to the top five, and before you rage click, the “Yes” chant isn’t among the worst.

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5. “What?”

We’re going to get this one out of the way right off the bat. It is the virus that will never leave the wrestling world. Thanks to what started out as a joke on an answering machine, the “What?” chant has become herpes of the WWE Universe, always under the surface, ready to flare up at a moment’s notice. According to Christian, Austin would leave him phone messages talking for a bit, then saying what after every couple words. Christian thought it was funny, but didn’t expect Austin to actually try it out while he was in the middle of the ring.

Well, he did, it went over well and suddenly every crowd was saying it to every heel that showed up to talk. At first, it was kind of funny to mock them, but years later, it’s just downright annoying. This chant has actually ruined a large number of promos, throwing less experienced wrestlers off their game in a hurry. Initially, crowds were smart about using this for only the most despicable heels or only when Austin was in the ring, now it’s used for pretty much anyone that doesn’t command respect from most of the crowd. If I had one wish, it wouldn’t be for money or power, it would be to ban that phrase from ever coming off the lips of some drunken, Kenny Omega shirt wearing, dude bro, ever again.

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4. “Holy S***!”

The cousin to “This is awesome” but a lot less PG. Again, this is a chant that started out with good intentions, crowds would show their appreciation after watching something completely insane happen. Cheering and yelling was simply not enough, so “Holy S***” became next level appreciation, originating (not surprisingly) from the ECW crowds.

Living in a PG world, crowds still bust this out at least once or twice during WWE PPVs and it’s usually for things that really don’t deserve it. It’s possible crowds just don’t expect as much these days, so when someone goes through a table, that’s an automatic moment for the chant to start up. Overused and misplaced (there are so many kids in the crowd!) this chant should be reserved for only the craziest Jeff Hardy or Shane McMahon leap of faith moments.

Quick side-note since I mentioned “This is awesome,” according to Dave Meltzer, the origin of that came during an Abyss vs. Monty Brown vs. Raven TNA match, and was done in a mocking tone because the match was so bad. It then was used as a positive chant, most notably during a Ring of Honor match between Kenta Kobashi and Samoa Joe in 2005.

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3. *Chant a Random Wrestler Not Involved in the Match*

I get it, sometimes WWE booked a Kane vs. Erick Rowan match that maybe one person in the entire crowd was super pumped to see. In those very rare cases, fans should show their displeasure in the match-up and entertain themselves by any means necessary. Unfortunately, this type of control is impossible and fans have used this kind of chant far too often for matches (or wrestlers) that don’t deserve it.

Most recently, TJ Perkins took on Tony Nese in a fine match that fans decided to dump on by chanting “CM Punk” and “Randy Savage.” Just because you don’t know some newer wrestlers doesn’t mean it’s time to get your smark on and chant for people (for their respective reasons) who will never come back to WWE. It’s incredibly disrespectful for the people in the ring, who are out there taking risks for the live crowd’s enjoyment. I know it sounds preachy, but imagine being at work and having clients or customers constantly calling for other workers and not giving any reason why, you might get a little peeved after awhile.

Anyways, outside of a Chicago crowd, the CM Punk one is becoming simply a joke now. What once was a chant in support of Punk has now become the anthem for “I’m bored.” What’s wrong with just cheering and booing? Go watch Backlash and see how the Richmond, Virginia crowd acted, they made nearly every match feel like a big deal by appreciating, booing, and cheering the action going on in front of their eyes.

Source: WWE.com

2. Song/Theme Chants

Before getting to the negatives, I will say when done right, these kinds of chants are really fun and add an interesting atmosphere to matches. Unfortunately, most crowds are tone deaf drones that turn a song into an awful canon, you know, because 15,000 people singing a song properly is kind of difficult! The worst offender right now is Nakamura’s theme song, which fans love to “Woah-oh! Oh…” along to. While the song is playing, it’s not that big of a deal, but then they try doing it multiple times during the match and it’s instant mute time. It’s not charming or funny, it’s just a bunch of people wailing at different parts of the song and sounds like garbage. I’m looking at you too, Sami Zayn entrance theme.

Aside from the English crowd that initially did this, the “Hey Bayley! Ooo-ah! I wanna know would you be my girl?” is both kinds of weird and gets quite bothersome after the fourth or fifth time. I know I’m sounding like a real old grump right now, but thankfully this chant hasn’t followed her to the main roster, yet. Just keep it simple people, that’s why “Yes!” and “No!” work so well, you sound like the crowd watching gladiators fight at the Coliseum in Rome!

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1. “You Can’t Wrestle!”

First of all, most of us couldn’t even run the ropes for ten minutes straight, so who are we to judge so harshly? Seriously, though, this saying isn’t that bad, but it’s shot primarily at wrestlers that don’t actually deserve it. The two that come to mind are John Cena and Roman Reigns. It’s no big secret fans have not supported Reigns as WWE attempted to make him their top star. Along the way, he’s had pretty much everything shouted at him, including this chant. It’s one thing to dislike his gimmick, the goofy promos WWE gave him, or that long glorious hair of his, but the guy can wrestle, he’s proven it over and over again. It’s like fans forgot he was in the Shield and they used to cheer the hell out of him, good or bad, such a fickle bunch we wrestling fans are.

For Cena, it’s just a habit that some fans refuse to break, following party lines that if you are an older guy you have to hate Cena and his “Five moves of doom!” Not that he was a poor wrestler before, but after Cena’s 2015, there shouldn’t be anyone that questions his abilities in the ring, after AJ Styles he was one of the best in the ring in that year.

Which chant would you delete (delete! delete!) from existence?